Vegetable smoothies are not exactly everyone’s favourite treat, but one amateur artist has come up with a way to make them more appealing – by decorating them with intricate designs, using only natural ingredients.

Hazel Zakaryia‘s edible artworks may not make her smoothies tastier, but they definitely make them prettier to look at. Using only wood skewers and a kitchen knife, she painstakingly paints over the thick fruit and vegetable base with edible “paints” made from ingredients like turmeric, blue matcha, milk, cream and and butterfly pea powder. The results are so impressive that it’s hard to believe Zakaryia is not a professional food artist, but a market analyst who likes to spend her free time entertaining her artistic side.

The New Zealand-based amateur artist told Martha Stewart that she discovered smoothie art completely by accident, while trying to decorate a squash soup. “I was trying to garnish my butternut squash soup with some coconut cream swirls when I got the idea,” she said. “The swirls didn’t quite turn out as planned, so I added a bit of pesto and made them into a tree instead.” It turned out so good that she kept experimenting and eventually settled on smoothie art.

“It’s become a fun platform for me to express and challenge myself creatively. Personally, it’s also a great mindfulness practice. And smoothies are a good way to enjoy more fruits and vegetables,” Zakaryia adds. “I’ve rediscovered my love for painting and drawing. And it’s great to create art that is edible and tasty too. My husband and I share them as a treat.”

If Hazel’s smoothie paintings have inspired you to try your own edible artworks, she recommends starting out with a thick base, and leaving light ingredients on top for the best layering.